Sask. man who bound, strangled wife's cousin convicted of 2nd-degree murder

A Saskatchewan man who bound and strangled his wife's cousin has been found guilty of second-degree murder.

Ranbir Dhull killed Samandeep Jhinger in 2020. Jhinger's body was found beaten and bound in the couple's basement in Warman, a city located 20 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon..

"Her wrists were bound together, her knees were bound together and her wrists were bound to her knees. Her mouth and nose were covered with tape, and two items of clothing were used to strangle her to death," Crown prosecutor Tyla Olenchuk said outside Saskatoon's Court of King's Bench court following the ruling by Justice Richard Danyliuk Tuesday morning.

"This was a senseless killing of a young woman who was trying to help her cousin raise her children. From the outset it was apparent to the Crown that Mister Dhull was guilty of this offence."

Danyliuk declined to convict Dhull of the more serious offence of first-degree murder. In his written decision, Danyliuk said the Crown failed to prove Jhinger was bound and confined before the killing. He said it's possible it was done afterward.

"I can reasonably infer that she was tied up and confined before she died. However, I can also reasonably infer that she was tied up to place and keep her in the shelf in the basement," he wrote.

An RCMP DNA expert had testified that Dhull's DNA was detected on the scarf that was wrapped around Jhinger's neck. A fellow taxi driver and friend of Dhull's testified that Dhull told him in their native Punjabi language he had killed someone and put the body in his basement. Dhull asked the man to help him dispose of the body. The man called police, who discovered Jhnger's body soon after.

Defence lawyer Andrew Mason had argued the judge should consider the lower offence of manslaughter when sentencing Dhull.

Dhull will receive an automatic life sentence, but sentencing for parole eligibility is scheduled for early June.